Fractured Greek Alphabet Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beta

Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet and came down to Greek usage via the Phoenician letter, beth. In slang terms today, beta is used as an insult to describe anyone who is unremarkable. A beta male, for example, is the opposite of the powerful and confident alpha male. Still, there's a lot to be said for a stress free life with a beta male, don't you think?

Answer: Epsilon

The fifth letter of the modern Greek alphabet, this letter evolved from the Phoenician, he. Just to make it a little more confusing, and like the other 23 letters in the alphabet, epsilon can face in either direction, but if you're writing it in the Greek language, the horizontal bars on the side of this letter always face in the direction you are writing.

In astronomy, epsilon is used to classify the fifth largest star in a constellation - and the most visible of the rings surrounding the planet Uranus.

Answer: Kappa

Kappa is the 10th letter of the modern Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician, kaph. A few facts relating to kappa, indicate that it is used to denote the degree of the curve in differential geometry; in pharmacology, it represents an opioid receptor; and in chemistry, the denticity of the compound. I haven't got a clue what that means but am sure you do. Looking it up left me even more confused.

Answer: Omega

Omega is the last (24th) letter of the Greek alphabet, and is used to denote the ultimate limit or end of any category. It wasn't included in the Greek alphabet until some time in the latter half of the 7th century, BC. In astronomy, it is used to describe the density of the universe; in statistics it indicates sample space or possible outcomes; and its symbol was used as a defiant resistance to America's draft for the Vietnam war, the rebellious little dickens.

Answer: Alpha

Alpha is the first cab off the rank in the Greek alphabet. It is derived from the Phoenician and Hebrew letter, aleph (which represented an ox). In statistics, alpha is used to indicate the area under a normal curve in a graph, ie, statistical significance; and it is said it was chosen to be the first letter, because it doesn't really require much movement by the tongue, therefore making it easier for children to articulate.

Answer: Delta

In the Greek alphabet, delta is its fourth letter, and derived from the Phoenician dalet. Thought to approximate the shape of the river Nile's delta, it also represents the difference operator (oh dear) in science and mathematics; the defendant when taking down information in legal shorthand; a major seventh chord in jazz; and to indicate a partial charge in the study of chemistry. All the Greek letters, in fact, are used in very many ways to represent various sets, categories, changes, and so on, in the modern sciences.

Answer: Sigma

The 18th letter of the modern Greek alphabet, Sigma is used in various mathematical fields to denote summation. This letter, from the Phoenician W, was introduced into other alphabets from the 8th century BC. In probability (also in statistics), sigma represents "the covariance matrix of a set of random variables" (Wikipedia) and of course I'm sitting here endeavouring to look intelligent, even though my expression is at variance with my understanding.

In finance, this letter is used to denote volatility of stocks, and in continuum mechanics, it represents stress. Stress, stress, I tell you!

Answer: Omicron

Omicron is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician ayin. In astronomy, this letter represents the 15th sized star in a constellation; and in mathematics notation it was used to indicate the Big O (naughty!) but this has fallen out of use because of the confusion between the letter O and the number zero.

Answer: Lambda

Lambda comes in as number eleven in the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician Lamed. Its symbolic use includes being used to indicate a subatomic particle in physics; in crystal optics, it represents a period of a lattice (I grow sweet peas on my lattice); and in nuclear physics, it denotes the radioactive decay constant.

All together now, "Lammmmmbda, the sheepish lion".

Answer: Iota

The last letter used for this quiz (oh thank goodness!) is iota. Derived from the Phoenician yodh, it is the ninth letter of the modern Greek alphabet. In some programming languages, it denotes an array or set of consecutive positive or negative whole numbers; and in normal everyday, blessed English, this word is used to express the concept of the smallest amount possible, or not even one iota of some category.